Serbia’s visa policy was criticized on Friday at a meeting of EU interior ministers for contributing to a sudden increase in the number of migrants arriving in the European Union (EU) via the Western Balkans, writes AFP.

EU countries accuse Belgrade of being a gateway to the Union for Turkish, Indian, Tunisian, Cuban and Burundian migrants who do not need a visa to travel to Serbia.

“I hope that Serbia and the other partner countries in the Western Balkans will cooperate with us and align their visa policies with those of the EU,” European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said after arriving at the meeting in Luxembourg.

In nine months, more than 106,000 illegal entries into the EU via the Western Balkans route were registered, which is 170% more than in the same period last year, according to the Frontex agency, which revealed the highest level of illegal entries into the EU since 2016 ( 228,240 during this period).

The Western Balkans route was mainly used by Syrians and Afghans, as in 2021. However, the commission notes an increase in the number of arrivals by this route this year of Turks, Tunisians, Indians, Cubans and Burundians.

Austria and Belgium, in particular, complain that they are dealing with an influx of asylum seekers not seen since the 2015-2016 crisis.

The Commission attributes this increase partly to the fact that the EU’s Western Balkan neighbors, particularly Serbia, which has been a candidate for EU membership since 2012, have different visa policies than the EU.

These countries exempt third-country nationals who are subject to a visa requirement to enter the EU. But these exiles can continue their journey and enter the EU illegally.

“It is unfair that people can travel without a visa to a neighboring EU country and then pay a smuggler to cross the border. This must stop,” commented Belgian State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Nicole Moore.